Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe

This grilled chicken salad has tender marinated chicken breasts, iceberg lettuce, mixed greens, avocado, red onion, tomatoes, pepperoncini, olives, and cucumbers. It’s served with tangy balsamic dressing. Enjoy as a healthy and filling summer side dish or meal. Adding a cheese topping is optional but recommended!

Grilled chicken salad is one of my favorite summertime light dinners. It’s healthy, filling, and so good!! Salads are super versatile—you can easily swap out some ingredients and experience a different salad every night. This particular one has a great combination of tender buttermilk, marinated chicken, leafy greens, and vegetables.

There is the crispiness of the iceberg and cucumber, the butteriness of the avocado, the brininess of the olives, the heat from pepperoncini, the sharp bite of the onion, and the tenderness of the chicken and mixed greens.

A tangy balsamic dressing completes the salad. I like to use extra light-tasting olive oil for the good fats, and it’s mild to let the balsamic shine. Add cheese for decadence and more deliciousness…the Italian blend is perfect. But Parmesan, blue cheese, Gorgonzola, and even feta are also great options.

Ingredients needed:

• Chicken breasts—pound down to about 3/4-inch thick for even cooking.
• Iceberg lettuce—provides nice fresh, crisp bites. Use all mixed greens if you wish. Romaine would be a good substitute.
• Mixed greens—provide more nutrition than icebergs. A mixture of iceberg and mixed greens provides a contrast in texture and makes a perfect salad base.
• Cucumber—for the tender crunch. Pick a long, slender one as their seeds are tender. Larger ones have tougher seeds.
• Red onion—provides a pop of sharp bite. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes if you want to mellow out the bite.
• Avocado—has a creamy, buttery texture and adds balance to the crunchy components.
• Tomato—grape or cherry tomatoes are perfectly bite-sized. Half them if you wish. Any other type of tomatoes can also be used.
• Olives—pitted kalamata are my favorite. The saltiness and brininess add great dimension to the salad.
• Pepperoncini—adds spiciness, which is a nice contrast to the mildness of the chicken, salad greens, cucumber, avocado, and tomatoes.
• Balsamic salad dressing—provides a tangy punch that brings the salad together. It’s made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and sugar. If you prefer another dressing, be my guest! It’s your salad!!

How to marinate chicken:

For even cooking, pound down the chicken breast with a meat pounder or rolling pin to about 3/4 inches thick for even cooking. Then use a pointed knife to puncture holes in the chicken for the marinade to absorb. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. If possible, marinate for 2 hours to overnight (4-8 hours preferably). If you don’t have much time, a quick 30-minute marinate will do.

How to grill:

Prior to grilling, remove the chicken from the marinade. Drip off excess liquid. Allow to sit at room temp for 20 minutes. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grease grates. Grill the chicken 4-6 minutes per side (covered), or until the internal temperature reaches 165° F. Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting into the chicken. How long the chicken cooks depends on the thickness of the chicken and your grill’s temperature. Four minutes is roughly how long a 3/4-inch chicken breast takes to cook thoroughly.

How to grill chicken indoors:

Don’t want to grill outside? No problem! Cook the breasts on the stovetop. Use a griddle pan or a heavy-bottom skillet. Make sure to pat the chicken dry with paper towels to prevent liquid from pooling in the pan. Preheat the pan to medium-high, brush with oil, then cook about 4-6 minutes per side. They are done when the juice runs clear and the internal temperature is 165° F.

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Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• Meat pounder—pounds meat into uniform thickness. This one is made of stainless steel over iron.
• Extra light tasting olive oil—has a mellow flavor that allows other ingredients to shine. Has a high smoke point and can be used for deep frying, according to the manufacturer.
• Digital food thermometer—waterproof, instant read, and accurate.
• Stovetop grill—this reversible grill/griddle is a great alternative to grilling outdoors. It’s cast iron, pre-seasoned, and ready to use.

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